Gary Rowett admits his first priority after taking over Stoke was to sort out the club’s fractured dressing room.

The Potters were relegated under Paul Lambert last season, as Jese Rodriguez, Saido Berahino, Kevin Wimmer and Ibrahim Afellay were all frozen out.

Experienced midfielder Charlie Adam has since claimed Lambert put Xherdan Shaqiri on a pedestal above the rest of the squad. Adam says it bred resentment as the rest of the team were made to feel like “water carriers”.

But Swiss ace Shaqiri has moved on after Liverpool triggered a £13million release clause and Rowett has attempted a shake-up for the Championship campaign beginning this weekend.

Ahead of Sunday’s trip to Leeds, Rowett said: “We were relegated last season and quite clearly the balance hasn’t been quite right.

“Certainly dropping down into the Championship that balance has to be readdressed anyway.You have to have to a slightly more robust mentality to the group.

“It is about the team and synergy of the group and when a team hasn’t performed to the level you expect it to with some of the players you have, you have to look at that and see why.

(Image: PA Wire)

That is something we are trying hard to address, we want Premier League players that can play in the Championship and have the mentality to get out of it.

“Charlie has said his opinion and I can see why because after some time a club gets to a level in the Premier League. You have to remember they finished ninth three seasons in a row which is a tremendous achievement.

“Then you are always looking how you can go again and the risk with that is to upset what got you there in the first place.”

Summer signing James McClean has the sort of work-rate and spirit Rowett wants (Image: PA Wire)

Stoke are the favourites for promotion after keeping Joe Allen and Jack Butland, while bringing in Benik Afobe, Ashley Williams, James McClean, Tom Ince and Ashley Williams.

Rowett added: “We have to attack the season with humility and earn everything we get. We have some Premier League-quality players, you can see that in the way they move and their athletic ability. But nothing is going to be handed to us because we are one of the favourites.”